My Ralph Bakshi Story, and Bakshi's guide to Surviving in Tough Times

Legendary alternative animation director Ralph Bakshi came to my table at the Fan Days convention in Dallas on Saturday and dug my stuff! Here's a few of the joints he was feeling...

I didn't recognize him, right? So he's looking at my Misty Knight painting (above), and he's holding one of my magazines in his hands (left)... and he says "Did you draw this?" pointing to the cover and then to the Misty Knight painting... I nod both times. "You ever heard of Bakshi?"

"The animation director? Yeah, he's dope..."I responded (yes I said "he's dope" to a 70 year old man), "You know, he's here at this con somewhere..." 

He's like "Yeah, you're looking at 'im!"

Then he starts to say something, and I interrupt (yep!) and say how much of an honor it is to have him at my table. Then after I finish blubbering, he blesses me:

"I like what you're doing..." says Bakshi, as I stand there frozen.  "The style. The roughness. The subject matter. I like it all."
Then he takes my card, looks at it, nods at me and walks off.

As I watch this panel from Comicon a few years ago and hear Bakshi's comments, I can see why Bakshi was feeling what I was trying to do. I find myself making similar comments all the time. We are raised to ask permission to follow our vision. We need to get this degree, or that certification. We need to have our work approved by this person  or that person. We are on the outside looking in. 

No. We don't need anyone's permission.  Modern technology has unlocked the gates. Anyone with sufficient talent and (more importantly) drive can create, produce, and distribute. Times are hard, and many creative industries are constantly threatening to fall apart. Like he says in the video, WE just need to stop all that bloodclot crying and reinvent the game. Believe it or not, that's what I'm tryin'a do in my own way. Thanks for coming along for the ride... 


Peace
-samax.  

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